Bottle neck stoppers



Jan.. El, w58

J. hw. soLoMoN Y BOTTLE NECK sToPPERs Filed June ll, 1956 IN V EN TOR. Vff//v /azaMa/v United States Patent C BO'ITLE NECK STOPPERS John W. Solomon, New York, N. Y., assignor to Coty, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 11, 1956, Serial No. 590,664

2 Claims. (Cl. 21S-47) This invention relates to bottle neck plugs or Stoppers adapted particularly for use with bottles containing viscous liquids.

A particular problem arises in respect to the bottling of viscous liquids which have a tendency to coagulate in a confined space. For example, the use of liquid make-up is often rendered inconvenient if not exasperating because the product tends to coagulate or cake in a bottle neck so as to impede ilow. Some bottles have been made with wider necks but this is of itself a disadvantage since it may occasion excessive flow when there is no coagulation or caking present.

With the foregoing in mind, I have devised a stopper or plug for a bottle neck which overcomes the above mentioned problem by eiectively clearing the bottle neck preparatory to using the product. The construction of the stopper is such as to provide other advantages such as rapidity and ease of application to the bottle without risking bubbling or overow of the contents of the bottle even if such contents approach the top of the bottle neck. It will be understood that it is desirable to fill the bottle almost to its maximum extent since otherwise the product, in its tendency to contract or evaporate, would leave an undesirable gap in the bottle neck.

The stopper of this invention is arranged to ll the bottle neck completely so that it automatically clears the bottle neck of any coagulated liquid when removed. Thus, the bottle shown herein is substantially cylindrical save for the constriction of the bottle neck. It is this construction which is completely lled by the device of this invention.

The invention will be further understood from the following description and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly broken away, and illustrating an application of the improved stopper to a bottle containing a liquid;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the complete insertion of the stopper into the bottle neck;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the stopper itself;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the bottle provided with the stopper as well as a closure cap.

The body of the bottle is illustrated as being cylindrical although the particular shape thereof is not critical. However, a cylindrical shape provides a wide, aring area which will not encourage caking as would a relatively conned space. The body 10 is formed with a substantially straight, tubular neck 11 having exterior threads 12 to permit the application of a screw cap 13.

In the form shown, the contents of the bottle comprise a viscous liquid such as liquid make-up. Such a product is generally composed of face powder dissolved or suspended in a liquid although other ingredients may be employed. As is well known, such a product tends to cake and an undesirable tendency thereof has been to clog the neck of the bottle with consequent dispensing difriculty.

. In order to remedy the above diticulty, I provide a stopper 14 which is substantially of the same length as neck 11 as illustrated in Figure 2 so that it forms a complete wall or liner for the bottle neck. Stopper 14 is hollow and is preferably formed of a resilient plastic material such as nylon or polyethylene. lt is formed with a shoulder 15 adapted to be seated against the lip of the bottle neck. The shoulder may be formed with an annular undercut 16 to permit the user to pry up the stopper when the product is to be used.

The lower half of body of stopper 14 is formed with va series of angularly spaced, vertical, rectangularly elongated slits 17 which terminate about centrally of the body of the stopper. The provision of slits 17 results in the formation of spaced feet 18 which serve the conventional function of facilitating entry of the stopper into the bottle neck.

1t will be observed that each slit 17 extends completely through the body wall and it then communicates with a groove 19 with which the slits are continuous and aligned. Grooves 19 extend through about 1/s of the body wall thickness and serve as air vents. The bottom of stopper is formed with a central opening 20 which communicates with the hollow interior of the stopper.

When the factory operator applies the stopper to the bottle neck, the bottle will be substantially full of the liquid contents as illustrated in Figure l. As the stopper is pushed downwardly, the liquid enters through opening 20 into the hollow interior of stopper 14 and substantially iills up the stopper as illustrated in Figure 2. At the same time, any air which must necessarily be displaced from the bottle neck flows through the slits 17 and respectively communicating grooves 19 whereupon such air is directed and discharged into the atmosphere. The operation is, of course, continuous and expeditious. The operator need merely push in the stopper while the liquid fills up the hollow thereof and the air escapes all without bubbling or spilling the contents. The cap is then applied.

When the product is purchased, the cap will iirst be removed and the user will pry up the stopper as heretofore described. As an alternative, the stopper may be made integral with the cap as will be evident. Inasmuch as the body of the stopper substantially completely lines the neck of the bottle to the very base or extreme lower end thereof, no constricted portion remains which would be free of the stopper and which would support irremovable caking. On the contrary, when the stopper is lifted out of the neck, it effectively scrapes every portion of the bottle neck and removes any caked liquid. The remaining contents will then flow without difficulty. It may be observed that the device permits the product to be produced of even greater viscosity than now considered practical since the tendency to cake at the neck would no longer be a deterrent.

There has been shown what is now considered a preferred embodiment of the invention but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions may be made without departing from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

1. A bottle neck stopper comprising a hollow resilient body having angularly spaced lower slits formed through the wall thereof, the bottom of said body being formed with a central opening communicating with the hollow interior of the body, the upper end of the body being formed up to the top thereof with angularly spaced air vent grooves extending partially into the body wall and each communicating and aligned with a respective slit, and a shoulder formed on said body and adapted to rest against the lip of a bottle neck, said air vent grooves extending up to said shoulder, each groove being of substantially the same width as the slit vvith which it is raligned.

2. The combination with-,a bottle having a straight, elongated cylindrical bottle neck communicatingwith the bottle body which flares outwardly. away Vfronrthe extremelower end of: the bottleneck, ofi a stoppertherefor, said stopper comprising a hollow resilientbody disposed within said bottle neck and forming am inner lining therefor up` to said extreme lower end thereof, said stopper body havinga. plurality off angulaifly spacedY vertical, elongated slits. formed inthe lowex half thereof Vand completely through. itsV walls, and thenpperhalf ofY said stopper body being fortrietl` with vertical grooves` each aligned with andcommunicatingl with a respectivesy slit',

and a top shoulder on said stopper body resting against the lip* of the' bottle neck, said grooves extending partially into said stopper body walls and up to said shoulders, each groove being of substantially the same Y5 width as the slit with which it isV aligned.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESl PATENTS Italy Sept. 10, 19753 

